Butterflies
by TheSecretandStrangeAngel
Summary: Disclaimer: I own nothing. My first story. Victor writes a song for Victoria for their anniversary. It reminds them of Emily, and gets Victoria suspicious. VV. Rating because I'm paranoid. R
1. Chapter 1

Butterflies

Chapter one: Inspiration

_CDEFGABC_

Slowly, Victor van Dort plucked out the scale on the piano keys, filling the large ballroom with monotonous sounds. He groaned.

"There has to be something," he spoke aloud without realizing it. He sighed.

Truly there was nothing. Nothing could describe, nor express the turmoil, and eventual contentment the year had brought.

Pressing out the scale once more, he fathomed as to how his wife, Victoria had put up with him. Him, clumsy, Victor who could not even write a simple song for her in honor of their one year anniversary.

Victor tapped his chin pensively. _Think Victor_, he thought to himself. _What happened in the past year that's _really_ worth writing about?_

Victor recalled the events in his mind. After the wedding disaster, Victor and Victoria moved into a modest dwelling. Neither of them, even after growing up in mansions, had minded, for they were in love, and quite happy.

But Victor struck gold when he took over his father's fish business. The couple packed up their belongings, and moved into a grander, lovely house in the city.

Victor groaned audibly. Though these things were nice, he _still_ had nothing.

_Think further back you dolt! Think about the wedding itself!_

Victor shuddered. The memories of the Land of the Dead, and Emily, and Barkis…that _despicable_ Barkis….came flooding back to him so fast, he clutched his head in pain. He couldn't possibly write about things that scared him out of his skin, and he most definitely could not, would not, and should not, write about the hairy marriage situation, and Emily…not Emily…

Victor massaged his temples. Regardless, he had to write a song. Their anniversary was tomorrow!

"Hmmm…" Victor tried to think of the wedding, unable to keep his frazzled mind from returning to the subject.

"We set her free…" he assured himself. "It made us realize how much we loved each other…Victoria and I…"

Nervously, he played the C scale again. More memories. He envisioned Emily, smiling at him, disintegrating into a swarm of butterflies, melodiously soaring into the moonlit night.

Unconsciously, he pressed the keys, releasing a joyous, flowing wave of sound.

"Yes…" he breathed. "That's it…"

It was perfectly safe to write about Emily…a symbol of everlasting passion…

More music followed, and soon Victor was smiling. He played on and on, for however long, and every so often, he scribbled the notes on a piece of staff paper he'd placed on the stand.

"It's perfect…"

"VICTOR!"

Victor yelped at the sudden screech behind his back. He spun around on the piano bench, so shocked, that he fell over, onto the tile floor.

Looking up sluggishly, he saw Victoria looming over him, remorsefully.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. "I kept saying your name, and you didn't respond."

Victor smacked his head with the heel of his palm. He was so engrossed in his music; he'd failed to hear his wife. And on top of it all, he fell over, flat on his face. He stood slowly next to Victoria. Smiling weakly, well, more like grimacing, he kissed Victoria on her cheek.

"Think nothing of it, love."

Victoria sighed. "It's a lovely song you're writing."

Victor swallowed. "Thank you…"

Victoria smiled at him. "What is it called? What inspired you?"

Victor shifted nervously. "W-what inspired me?"

"Yes. A few minutes ago, I stuck my head in, and you were struggling. Now, you go and write beautiful piece of music in a mater of minutes."

Victor winked at her. "A work in progress my dear. Never show a work in progress."

"I just heard it."

Victor fiddled with his scarf in embarrassment. _Very clever Victor…so very clever…_

"Well I can at least tell you the name. I've decided to call it _Butterflies_."

He wasn't sure what to expect from Victoria.

But her reaction was very different than whatever he did.

Her face paled. "Butterflies?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She wrung her delicate hands, and smiled bitterly. "It's lovely."

Her face, gray as a gull's wing, she turned on her heel, and headed for the stairs.

Wordlessly he ascended them, the same dour, forlorn look upon her face.

Victor blinked.

"Well! I wonder what's gotten into her."

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	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter Two

_Butterflies…Butterflies…_

Victoria paced the floor of her bedroom, pulling the fabric of her skirt. She sighed, tired from her pacing, and sat down on the large oak bed. She clenched her fist. God, she hated butterflies.

She was experiencing a blend of feelings and thoughts: confusion, sadness, worry, suspicion…and envy. Moreover, feeling stupid for having this envy!

"That's ridiculous." She said, with a small, forced laugh. "He can't possibly be holding on to that. She's gone…" she said. "Gone."

Victoria placed her hands in her lap, and began to wring them again. Gone. That's what she told herself when she had awoken from those nightmares, plaguing her for the weeks following her marriage. That's what she told herself whenever she cast a bitter glance to a passing butterfly.

Victoria shook her head. She was a stupid woman. Even if Victor did love her, there was nothing she could do about it….

"NO!" Victoria half-shouted, rising from the bed, her eyebrows knitted in and angry glare. She marched towards her vanity, and looked herself in the eye.

"Listen here!" She pointed her finger at the mirror, not stopping to realize she was talking to her reflection. "Victor does not love Emily! He is not still thinking about her, and there is NO possible way she's is ever coming back!"

She pulled in a long shaky breath, the embarrassment, setting in.

"Oh…" she sighed, sitting down on the stool in front of her vanity. She cleared a strand of hair from her face. Looking up, she saw that during her fretful pacing, her bun had come loose. Removing the pins, she began to rewind the silken black hair into it's tight chignon.

She bit her lip. Emily was beautiful. Was she beautiful enough for Victor? Victoria groaned, perhaps louder than she meant to. She was going berserk. And the screaming at her reflection hadn't helped a bit.

She tried to focus on all the happy months together. All of the kisses, and all the times he'd made her laugh (sometimes unintentionally, as a result of his clumsiness). Slowly, she recalled every 'I love you.' They didn't seem fake, or insincere.

Hadn't Victor become lost in his thoughts lately? For the past week, he seemed to be daydreaming, or staring off, thinking deeply. It was their anniversary, Damn it! _A good bloody time to have second thoughts! _

Frazzled, Victoria began to cry softy, feeling like more of an idiot with each tear, but going on nonetheless.

"I can't go on like this…" Victoria mumbled. "I have to make up my mind! I'm going insane!"

"Victoria!" Victor's voice sounded from the stairs. Victoria gasped in surprise, and hastily dried away her tears. She picked up her foundation and quickly applied a coat on her cheeks. She sighed. She had always cherished the fact that Victor treated her as a human being, rather than a mindless woman. Unlike most planned marriages, they were in love. Or so she thought.

And she hoped.

"Victoria!"

Victoria glanced at her reflection. She smiled weakly in satisfaction. No one could tell she had been crying.

The door opened. Victor walked in, his face, puzzled.

"Victoria? Why would you answer me?"

Victoria bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I was engrossed…" she looked around the room for an excuse, and settled on the book Pride and Prejudice.

"In my reading." She spat, running to the nightstand that housed the book. "Yes, and in the midst of it, my hair unwound, and I had to fix it."

Victor nodded half-heartedly, as if his mind was on something else. Victoria growled under her breath. She wanted to smack him, and demand to know what he was thinking about. She wanted to burn the piano. Yes, set it up in flames….

_No, you jealous twit! That won't solve anything! He'll only hate you more!_

"Love? You look a bit preoccupied? Are you alright?" Victor asked. Victoria snapped her head up to meet her husband's gaze.

I'm preoccupied? "Yes Dear, I'm fine." She said icily. "And I think I'll go out for a stroll…"

Stiffly, she turned sharply, and walked out the door. Tossing her head, she smiled triumphantly.

_That went fairly well._


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you very much for the reviews. This chapter shall be very short, and bittersweet. Yes, it's probably not very good. But it is ominous.**

**-Anna-**

Chapter Three

Victoria walked through the forest silently, the only sounds coming from the occasional twig snapping beneath her boots. The sun had set hours ago, and a full moon hung in the distance. Victoria swallowed.

Why am I still out here?

_Thwack!_

Victoria fell forward onto her knees, after stepping on a root. Somehow, she felt no pain.

"I'm dreaming…." She whispered. "Why else would I be out in the forest past midnight?"

_Whoosh…_

A strange shuddering sound surrounded her. Soon, she was blinded by the pale wings of butterflies.

"Just perfect!" she growled, swatting one from her face. She closed her eyes, trying her level best to keep the angry little insects away from her.

Then it stopped.

The fluttering sound ceased. Nothing brushed her face. She opened her eyes. Standing directly in front of her was the pale blue form of, none other than Emily.

Abandoning fear, Victoria stood indignantly, looking her straight in the eye.

"You home wrecker!"

Emily said nothing.

"How dare you come here to rub my husband's unfaithfulness in my face…you despicable…"

Emily giggled softly. "You're a lot more temperamental than I remember. But you can save your breath. I've come to save your marriage."

Victoria blinked. "What?"

Emily nodded. "Though I did love Victor…" she looked sadly off into the distance Suddenly, Victoria felt a tinge of remorse. Poor Emily. Even if Victor ran off with her, she deserved to be happy after all she'd been through.

"He loves you very much." She said with a small smile. "He is not unfaithful. And because I once had feelings for him, I want both of you to be as happy as possible. Stop brooding. He's worried."

With that Emily disappeared. The moon sunk behind the cloud. "E-Emily?" Victoria

whispered. "What's going on?"

And everything went dark.

Victoria awoke with a start, clutching her chest, and inhaling deeply.

"It was a dream…" she whispered. She turned around to look at Victor, lying on his side, asleep. Shaking, she lay beside him trying to catch her breath.

"Only a dream…"

But what if it was symbolic? What if it was true? What if Emily….?

Frazzled, Victoria shut her eyes, not expecting to sleep at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Keep 'um coming! Well…here, we have what we call a PLOT TWIST! HOORAH!**

Chapter Four

"YOU"

Angrily, Victor slammed his head on the piano keys.

"IDIOTIC!"

Another slam.

"DOLT!"

Groaning in pain, he lifted his head. If only Victoria could see him now. She would probably hate him even more. She'd been so distant that night, barely talking to him at all. Now, today, on their anniversary, she had gone off walking again, and Victor was left to write a song that would do no good for anyone.

_Whoosh!_

A gust of wind burst through the open window above the piano. Startled, Victor looked up.

_Butterflies…_

A flock of _butterflies_ floated towards him, hovering in front of the piano.

"Could it be?"

The butterflies joined together, forming the slender figure of a woman. Victor rubbed his eyes incredulously. When he glanced back at the butterflies, Emily, the one and only, Emily, stood in their place.

Victor screeched, feeling faint. Emily put her bony hand on his shoulder, smiling in an amused manner.

"I see you're still as jumpy as ever."

Victor blinked dumbly. Emily giggled.

"I'll stop. You're troubled."

Victor sighed, temporarily forgetting his fear. "How did you guess?"

"Let's just say I paid a visit to your wife last night in the form of a dream. Well it was more like a nightmare…Ha! Poor Victoria! She was terrified; you should have seen her…"

Victor held up his hand. "Why are you here?"

Emily grinned. "To save your marriage. Victoria thinks you're still in love with me!

Wouldn't I be happy?"

Victor bit his lip. "Why would she think tha-" she paused. "Oh no. The song!"

"Yes the song!" Emily chirped. "I'm sure she'll understand. But you can't be afraid to confront her, and tell her the truth.

"That won't work."

"It has to!" Emily said firmly. "I sent her a little something to make sure she'll listen."

_A little something?_ Victor's eyes widened in horror. No! Emily wouldn't dare. After all that had happened…if something happened…he could never forgive himself!

"You didn't hurt her, did you?" Victor asked

Emily shook her head. "Heaven's no! She's fine. And you will be too." She sat at the

piano bench. "Move over. I'm going to help you write this song."

She paused. "First, we'll rename it."

Victoria listened absently as the wind whistled past the trees. This was the forest in her nightmare. She came to this particular grove for trees looking for answers.

And she had one.

There was a logical reason for her fear. For her jealousy. There was something she needed to tell Victor.

The night before, when she went for a stroll, she had seen a doctor. She went to find a reason for all of her impromptu pains she had tried hard to hide from Victor.

She was pregnant.

She wished Victor was there to share the news. She wished she could have been happy. But what would become of her and Victor's baby now?

Sighing, she knew she had to face the music. She started towards home, running through in her head how she would break the news. She knew Victor was decent enough to help her with her situation, love or no love.

It was his child after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is the last chapter. Yes this is a rather short story. But I feel as if I might be forced by my own creative impulses to write a sequel.**

**Thanks for the reviews everybody! It really made my first story great.**

**Anna**

Chapter Five

"Victor!"

Victoria walked into the vast entrance hallway, calling for her husband. She shut the door behind her, hearing a sharp sound from the piano bench.

There was Victor, smiling shyly at the piano. Victoria forced a grin.

"Hello love." Victor said softly. "Happy Anniversary."

Victoria swallowed. "Yes. To you too, dearest. But there is something I need to tell you…"

Victor smiled proudly. "There is something _I _need to tell _you_."

Victoria neared the piano bench. Victor clasped her hands, and looked up at her with big, innocent, puppy dog eyes.

"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression."

Victoria blinked. _Oh no, Here it comes…_

"W-wrong impression of what exactly?" she stammered, her hear pounding in her ribcage. Victor laughed shortly.

"The song, my dear, was for you."

Victoria felt the room shrink around her. She'd fretted, and avoided Victor for absolutely nothing. She wanted to crawl underneath a rock, and drop dead from guilt.

But still, she was confused. It was called _Butterflies_…how could it be for her?

"I…I don't know what to say…"

"You needn't say anything." Victor said, releasing her hands, and turning towards the keyboard.

"Just listen."

He pressed the keys, and began to play a lovely melody that would have sent Beethoven into hiding. The rhythm was steady, and floaty, but had the ultimate undertones of romance. An ode. And ode to love.

It occurred to her; they had set Emily free. She'd given them her blessing. She closed her eyes, and her image came to mind, flying from the church window in a flock of butterflies. She saw herself kissing Victor, and taking his hand. She was in love. And so was he!

She opened her eyes, now brimming with moisture. She looked at Victor, who was gazing at her expectantly.

"Darling, what's the matter?"

She sniffled. "I'm sorry Victor. I was so stupid…"

Victor stood up, embracing her tenderly. A fat tear rolled down her cheek. She was embarrassed, and stupid, but unimaginably happy.

"It's alright." Victor said softly

Victoria's spirits lifted. Now, she could tell him about the baby. T was a perfect time indeed.

"Victor?" She spoke in an excited whisper.

Victor smiled at her. "Yes?"

Victoria was unable to hide her pleasure; her face broke into a grin. "Yesterday, when I went out walking, I spoke to a doctor…"

Victor's face paled. He stoked her cheek with his palm, his hand shaking. "You're not ill, are you?"

Victoria laughed. "No! I'm pregnant!"

Victor's eyes were as wide as platters. "You're pregnant?"

Victoria nodded. Victor laughed joyous, and took her in his arms. Both were giggling like children, and crying at the very same time.

"I love you!" Victor told his wife.

"I love you too!" she replied breathlessly. "Oh, Victor! It's so wonderful! We're going to have a baby!

"I'm going to be a father!" Victor exclaimed.

Suddenly his expression changed drastically. He was a pale as a sheet, and looked as if he could faint at any second. Victoria arched an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

Victor rubbed his forehead. "Oh dear…."

Swallowing hard, he inhaled, and said, rather loudly, in a mixture of nervousness, and ecstasy, he yelled.

"_I'm going to be a father!"_

_The End!_

_How'd ya like it?_


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